Suzhou EtonHouse United Nations Day 2014

On Saturday 12th April, Suzhou EtonHouse's community of students, parents, staff and visitors united in celebrating our amazing United Nations Day 2014.

Despite the rain we had more than 1000 people attend the event and it was our first indoor United Nation Day for over 6 years.

We enjoyed a wide variety of food and games from our country stalls including China, USA, Japan, Australia, Korea, Canada and many European countries.

Our arena hosted a variety of dance, games, band performances and an Ancient Chinese traditional dress parade with a Chinese tea ceremony.

All profit from the event goes to a local charity that supports migrant students' education in Suzhou.

Why do we have a UN Day?

Apart from the obvious fun and enjoyment, I have been asked “why do we have a UN Day?” Is it just to raise money for “charity”? What is more important, I have been asked, ”charity” or education? Importantly, we define an IB education as including attributes, behaviours and attitudes which support community action or “charity” – they are not two separate things.

What is the aim of an IB education?

To create a collaborative, global community united by a mission to make a better world through education. This is why a UN Day IS part of our education – it's not just a charity event! At the heart of an IB education is a commitment to community service and action (perhaps this is what reporters refer to as “charity”), intercultural understanding and international mindedness.

The IB initially established the Diploma or DP in 1968 to provide a challenging and comprehensive education that would enable students to understand and manage the complexities of our world and provide them with skills and attitudes for taking responsible action for the future. Responsible action is the “charity” which is the purpose of the fundraising aspect of the UN Day. This is only ONE aspect of why we have a UN Day. IB learners, as set out in the learner profile, strive to become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective. They aim to help all members of the community; respect themselves, others and the world around them. What better way to focus on this than through our UN Day.